PHOTO: George Mason's Doc Nix Returns From Sabbatical In Style

Duquesne Vs. George Mason: Patriots Fall To The Dukes, 75-64

The George Mason Patriots dropped their game against the Duquesne Dukes tonight by a score of 75-64. George Mason was outscored in the first half 40-31, thanks to a run in the middle of the first half after the teams traded leads early on. Duquesne was able to hold and build on their lead to take it into halftime. In the second half, the Dukes did more of the same, holding their lead and once again outscoring George Mason 35-33 in the second half.

George Mason just couldn't muster enough offense against the Dukes, despite getting 13 points from both Ryan Pearson and Vertrail Vaughns. Guard Andre Cornelius got back on the court following his suspension, putting up 11 points for George Mason, along with three steals.

For the Dukes, Sean Johnson was able to lead the team in scoring with 14 points off the bench in just 17 minutes of floor time. Both T.J. McConnell and Eric Evans added 12 points, as well.

We'll have coverage of this and every George Mason game here on SB Nation D.C.

George Mason Basketball's Andre Cornelius To Return From 10-Game Suspension

George Mason senior Andre Cornelious was suspended for the first ten games of the year after pleading guilty to credit card fraud over the offseason, but George Mason is playing in their 11th game tonight and Cornelious will be able to play for the first time this year. According to Patrick Stevens of the Washington Times, it will be an emotional time for him.

“I might cry,” Cornelius said. “A little tear might come out or something like that. I’m going to make sure I keep my composure and don’t get out of my character on the court and try to do too much that I can’t do.”

His return could be very beneficial for the Patriots on the court, and Paul Hewitt knows that Cornelious can bring a very specific type of offense that the Patriots have been lacking all year.

“The potential is that it’s a significant change because if there’s an area I think we need to continue to improve on, it’s outside shooting,” Hewitt said. “Now, I see some really good things in practice. We do a lot of shooting drills, and I see guys becoming more consistent. But to add a guy like that who was the leading 3-point shooter [on the team], he could have a big impact on our team.”

Duquense Vs. George Mason: Patriots Look For Win To Kick Off Two-Game Home Stand

George Mason will play the first of two straight games at home against Duquesne on Tuesday at 7 pm.